Liquid dispenser equipment



Aug. 14, 1945.

T. A. HU TSELL LIQUID DISPENSER EQUIPMENT Filed March 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l &

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ATTORNEYS Aug. 14, 1945. T. A. HUTSELL LIQUID DISPENSER EQUIPMENT Filed March 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 77101144 54 HUTSEL L /INVENTOB a /zw A T TORNE Y8 Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEJJL: i

"' a 2,382,059 I Q I I 1 LIQUID DISPENSER EQUIPMENT Thomas A. Hutsell, Kenton, Wash.

Application March 8, 1943, Serial No. 478 ,349

Claims.

The present invention relates to liquid dispenser equipment and more particularly to a dispenser for mixing a syrup with a carbonatedwater and dispensing such in measuredquantities of both the syrup and the carbonated water.

In the prior art there has been found difficulty in measuring out a medium such as a thick syrup whose viscosity would chang with varying temperatures, and of properly mixing, such syrup under varying conditions with the carbonated water. If the syrup were to be added to either the first or last part of the Water dispensed,the result would be an uneven mixture. Such is not desirable.

Having in mind these defects of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to design and construct a device that will accurately measure, mix and dispense quantities of syrup and carbonated water.

Another object of the present invention is the measuring out of a quantity of syrup and then of continuously withdrawing parts of the measured quantity of syrup and mixing each of such parts with water until all of the measured amount is withdrawn.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a liquid dispenser having a mixing chamber and means for continuously adding to said chamber measured amounts of both syrup and water.

Yet a further object of the present invention is the provision of actuating means that allows a dispensing movement of an operating handle or lever and which movement will store energy in the device for completion of the dispensing operation.

The above mentioned defects of the .prior art are remedied and the aforementioned objects attained by the construction of a beverage dispenser that has a syrup chamber and an ice chamber with coils therein for carbonated water, which coils may be connected to a suitable source of carbonated water or other mixer. The syrup chamber, or reservoir, has placed therein a pump for removing syrup from the chamber and transferring it to a mixing chamber. The mixing chamber is also connected to the water coils by means of a valve. The piston of the pump is actuated by a spring to dispense the syrup. The spring is compressed by a lever operated linkage, that allows a free return of the piston after it has been compressed. Actuation of the linkage serves to open the valve to let water into the mixin chamber; return of the piston actuates a link to close the water valve. Also, during the return of the :piston, a measured amount of syrup is dispensed into the mixing chamber in a continuous stream to mix with the water passing therethrough.

Hereinafter is set forth the details of a device embodying the above outline, which deviceremedies the defects and attains'the objects previously set forth. In the drawings x- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my beverage dispenser, with portions broken away and others shown in section for convenience of illustration;

Figure 2 is a similar view in elevation of my beverage dispenser mechanism similar to, Figure 1, but taken in a different plane as. indicated by line 2-2 of Figure 3; v

FigureB is a vertical sectional view. through my beverage dispenser on the plane of line 3-3 of Figure 1; I 1

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pump actuating mechanism employed in my beverage dispenser; I v

Figures 5 and 6 are similar vertical sectional views of a portion of the actuator mechanism of my dispenser; and v v Figure '7 is a vertical sectional view ofa valve mechanism within the dispensing spout of my apparatus. a I p v v e A preferred embodiment of my invention, referring particularlyto Figure 3 in the drawings, is constituted by a container base In which has a hollow interior forming a chamber l2 in which and on which is mounted the operating mechanism of the dispenser. Within chamber l2v is placed the fluid F to be dispensed. In the fluid Inimmerse pump cylinder I4. Within cylinder H is the pressure chamber I5 having a lower inlet l6 which on occasion is closed by the valve ball l8. Piston 20, in the cylinder, reciprocates to vary the size of chamber l5 and includes the hollow piston stem- 22 which is surrounded, within the cylinder, by an expansion spring 24 that operates between the piston 20 and the cylinder head 26 to urge the piston downwardly. Relief ports 28 in cylinder M are indicated.

It is intended that the container base Ill be supported upon a superstructure of the conventional soda fountain or bar. For that purpose I provide the clamp 30 which is fitted over an upright wall of such a fountain or bar and clamped tightly thereon by means of set screw 32 to support th dispensing mechanism. On a" The stem 22 of the piston s rves, as"the, dis+,

charge outlet of pressurized fluid from below pis. ton 26, as when the spring 24 is urging the piston downwardly against a quantity of fluid trapped by valve I8 in cylinder I4. From stem 22 the fluid flows through a flexible conduit 38, thence to the passage I62 of dispensing nozzle 46 where its discharge is controlled by the adjustable nee-- dle valve 42. Valve 42 is shown in Figure 2 as having a pointed end 43 which may be advanced or retracted from the discharge end of conduit 38}.

Piston 26 and tube 22. is raised by lever 44 that is fixedly pivoted at 46 to wall 48' of the upper cabinet 56. Cabinet 56 rests upon the containerfljz;

base I6. Lever 44 is pivotally connected at. 54 to piston rod 22 by the depending link 52;

1 5' Lever 44, intermediate pivots 46 and-54, is joined 1 i I limits reciprocal movement of the link to: the ver-r tical. Link 56 has a pair of outstanding ears 6| that by pivot pin 62 join arm 63 that is downwardly urged by. spring 64. Arm 63 has a horn 66 which is employed in a manner later to be described.

Between bracket arms I6, I6 on the wall of case- 56 is pivotally mounted the hand lever I2 that swings on the pin 14. Lever I2, taken with the angularly disposed arm I6, comprises a bell crank which is coupled to arm 63' by the inter-, mediate I-I-shaped connector link I8. On the end of lever I6 I provide a boss 11 to engage against the lower side of the cross bar of link I8 at certain times during the operation of the equipment. The cross-bar 86 of link I8 has an inclined upwardly facing shoulder I9 with which the horn 66 coacts on certain occasions. i

From the initial position shown in Figure 3, swinging movement of the handle I2 and arm I6 will cause the H-shaped connector link I8 and the arm63 to raise the slide link 56, the

horn 66 of arm 63 abutting on the face 19 of link I8 to maintain the arm 63 and link 18 in a past center position. As the swinging movement continues, the boss 11 contacts the under side of cross bar 86, thus effectively forming a rigid link between pivot 14 and pivot point 65. Further movement of the lever I2 will cause the pivot 65 to break over to the opposite off-center position between pivots 8| and 62, which frees arm 63.

.50 slide link 56 and permits independent downward travel of said link under the action of spring 24.; When lever I2 is swung from the position of from exerting further lifting force against the Figure 3 to the position of Figure 5, the link slide 56 is raised, causing swinging movement of lever 44 about pivot 46 to raise link 52 and to in turn raise piston 26 against the action of. spring 24. Thus a charge of fluid is drawnfrom chamber I2 intothechamber .I5 under the piston' cylinder, during which time ball I8 is raised from its seat in th'e'opening I6. The raising stroke of the piston is momentary, and upon reaching its upper limits, is discontinued when the connecting link 18 is broken over .to the position of Figure 5, against thetension of spring 64, to permit the piston 26" to descend. under the urgence of spring 24,"irrespective thereafter of the position of lever I2. When lever 12 isjmanually returned to the position of Figure 3 from that of Figure 6, the dispensing mechanism, is,

set to be again operated ltp; discharge. a flow of the fluid being dispensed. During the, downward stroke of piston'26, fluid flows through stem 22 and conduit 38 to valve 42 andthenceinto the mixing-chamber of spout 46;

'fluid dispenser, usually of the, constant pressure type. This carbonated liquid flows through tube 92, coil 96, to outlet 94. i 7

Within chamber 5| is also usually stored a certain amount of liquid and ice, or other coolant, for refrigerating in transit the fluid in coil 96 as it passes through the chamber 5|. An overflow tube 96 accommodates such superfluous coolant as may accumulate in chamber 5| and this liquid either, drips out of the opening 98 or is otherwise removed as desired.

; From outlet 94 the gas-bearing fluid flows to the passage I66 of the dispensing spout 46. Between passage I66 and the mixing chamber or passage I62 is an orifice I63 that is opened or closed by valve I64 which limits the flow of'the cooled gas-charged fluid out of the spout 46. Valve head I64 is mountedon a valve stem I66, that reciprocates through gland I68 and has a portion below the spout. On stem I66'is collar H6 and, spaced therebelow isa second shoulder I2, in this case shown as provided by the adjustment nut II4. Between shoulders H6, H2 is disposed flange III; of draft link II8 connected by pin 45 to lever 44 and link 56 for-vertically reciprocal operation therewith. Link H8 is slotted at |I9 so that portions of it'pass on either side of the shank of spout 46 adjacent where it enters case 56. I

Shoulders H6 and H2 and the flange II6 comprise a lost motion action. It will be seen that, when link 56 is raised, link I I8 is drawn upwardly so that the flange I I6 contacts the under side of collar M6 to raise and open valve |64. It will also be seen that, as lever 44 returns downward- .ly to its normal position, link 56 is returned downward to its normal at rest. position. At the same time, link -I I8 also returns downwardly, during. all of which time the valve I64 is open until flange |I6 contacts shoulder M2 on nut II 4 and closes the orifice between passage I66 and chamber I62. During the interval that orifice I63 is o'pen, the carbonated fluid flows at a fairly constant rate into chamber I62 where it mixes with the syrup, discharging through valve 42.

This mixture then is discharged from spout 46 and comprises the drink being dispensed.

During substantially all of the raising stroke 0f piston 26, at which time the flange 6 that operates valve I64 is also raising, the primary action that takes place isthe draft of a charge of syrup Finto chamber I5. At or near the end of the upward stroke of the piston, and consequently the upward stroke of flange II6,'valve 64is raised from its seat, thus initiating a flow 'offth'e carbonated fluid through orifice I63 into the mixing chamber I62. Simultaneously there- 'with the piston is released to travel downward under the urgenceof the spring 24 which initiates -aflow ofsyrup through valve 42. Ordinarily the gas-charged fluid flows at} a constant rate under a pressure of approximately five to six pounds per square inch. Due to the pressure of the spring imparted to the piston,the syrup flows at a, pressure of from. ten to twelve pounds per the action is, in effect, a spraying and dispersal of the syrup throughout the surrounding gas- -chargedwater or other'carbonated liquid within mixing chamber I02. Full mixing of the syrup and the carbonated liquid is produced while both are confined within a chamber. It is important to provide such through mixing, since this action eliminates the necessity of manual mixing which results in undesirable freeing of entrapped carbon dioxide as results when an operator stirs the discharged fluids in a container with a spoon or other stirring implement.

It is also to be noted that when the flange IIG has returned downwardly to a point where it contacts the shoulder II 2 and causes the closing of valve I04, the piston is thereby limited from further downward travel. The flow of both the syrup and the carbonated fluid is thereby terminated simultaneously.

The length of time that valve I04 is open governs the amount of carbonated fluid that will pass into the mixing chamber and through spout 40. The length of time that valve I04 is open is measured by the interval required for flange IIB to descend from its top position to that point where it has seated valve I04 in the orifice I03. The distance between the raised position of flange H6 and its lowermost position governs the volume of syrup that is dispensed through the displacement action of piston 20. Thus, the amount of carbonated fluid that is permitted to flow is directly proportionate to the amount of syrup that is dispensed from the cylinder chamber I by the piston. As an example, if one ounce of syrup is dispensed from the metering chamber I5 it is possible to adjust the equipment so that six ounces of carbonated fluid will be dispensed. Without changing the adjustment of the equipment, other than to lengthen the stroke of the piston by permitting flange I16 to descend slightly farther before closing valve I04, a proportionately greater amount of carbonated fluid will be also discharged. To increase or decrease the proportion of carbonated water relative to a given amount of syrup, valve 42 may be opened or closed, in which case more or less syrup will flow from the metering pump into the mixing chamber in a given period of time. Since the time element, from the beginning to the end of the flow of the syrup charge, is accompanied by movement of flange I I6, the opening and closing of valve I04 will be responsive to the degree of control exercised by valve 42 on the flow of the syrup.

Although I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a liquid dispenser, a mixing chamber; water and syrup inlets to said chamber; a water valve controlling the flow of water under pressure to said chamber; a spring actuated piston for measuring syrup to said chamber through the syrup inlet; free return means for compressing said spring so that, on the free return of said means, said spring will actuate the piston; means operable to open said valve at the end of the spring compressing stroke; and means for limiting movement of the piston and for closing said water valve; said free return means comprising: two connected links transmitting the operating force to one side of their axis by virtue of a stop carried by the links which limits movement of said links in one direction relative to each other, and a crank connected to one of said links for operating the same, said crank carrying a, boss adaptable to engage the link connected thereto to move said link away from said stop and allow free rotation therefrom of the outward link.

2. In a liquid dispenser, a spring, a dispensing piston actuated by said spring, and free return means for compressing'saidspring so that on the free return of said means said spring will actuate said piston, said free return means comprising: two connectedlinks transmitting the operating force to one side of their axis by virtue of a stop carried by the links for limiting movement of said links in one direction relative to each other, and a crank connected to one of said links for operating said links, said crank carrying a boss adaptable to engage the link connected thereto to move said link away from said stop and allow free rotation therefrom of the outward link.

3. In a liquid dispenser of the type wherein a spring pressed piston measures and forces a quantity of fluid being dispensed to a. dispensing outlet, operating means for said piston comprising: a crank; two connected links for transmitting the operating force imparted through said crank to the piston, said links being adapted to transmit the operating force to one side of their axis by virtue of a stop carried by one of the links for limiting movement of said links in one direction relative to each other; and a boss between said crank and the associated link to cause movement of said link to the other side of the axis and allow free rotation of the outward link whereupon said piston is permitted free movement under the urgence of its spring.

4. In a liquid dispenser, a mixing chamber, Water and syrup inlets to said chamber, a water valve controlling the flow of water under pressure to said chamber, a spring actuated piston for measuring syrup to said chamber through the syrup inlet, free return means for compressing said spring so that on the free return of said means said spring will actuate the piston, said free return means operable to open said valve at the end of the spring compressing stroke, and an adjustable stop for limiting movement of the piston and for closing said water valve.

5. A mechanism for dispensing a syrup and a fluid as a mixture, comprising: a mixing chamber having a dispensing outlet, means for supplying fluid under constant pressure to said chamber, a valve for controlling the flow of fluid under pressure, a piston for supplying a measured quantity of syrup to said chamber, means for moving and potentially loading said piston, means for opening said valve in response to the movement of said piston, and means responsive to a predetermined potential unloading and movement of said piston to close said valve.

THOMAS A. HUTSELL. 

